


Oh Beautiful Town

by QueenQuin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hogwarts, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Marauders, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-10 00:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7823395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenQuin/pseuds/QueenQuin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With their fifth year coming to a close, the Marauders prepare to return home. Sirius will be forced to stand up for himself against the people he loves and face the consequences. Who can he turn to for help?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sirius grabbed the last of his clothes and threw them haphazardly into his trunk. He quickly slammed the lid closed before anything could fall out and sat on it while he did the locks. Satisfied with his work, he sighed and fell back on his now bare mattress. The room was in complete chaos, with the other boys yelling and throwing one another’s belongings to the owner as they found them. Some exchanges were more accurate than others and accompanied with a curse followed by laughter. Presently, James was laughing at Peter, who had just taken a textbook to the shin. The injured boy hopped around holding his leg, swearing like a fiend until he tripped and fell into a pile of clothing with a dull thud. James proceeded to throw more clothes on top of him.

Sirius grinned and glanced over at Remus. He was the one who had originally thrown the book, but he seemed completely oblivious to the results of his actions. He was instead focused on the large stacks of books in front of him. He had organized them by owner, and was now chucking books around the room towards the unfortunate boy that they belonged to. Sirius had quickly grabbed all of his before Remus had even finished the piles, and James was quite good at catching them before they could do any real damage, so that left Peter. He was unable to keep up with Remus’ continuous barrage of books. Sirius watched Remus pick up another large volume before stretching out and closing his eyes. Now that he was done, he could relax for a while before heading to the end of the year feast.

His rest was cut short by a textbook landing on his stomach. He sat up, gasping for breath while James and Peter laughed at his pain. He glared at Remus and threw the book back to him. “What the hell was that for?!”

Remus caught it and tossed it back at Sirius. “It’s yours. I don’t want it.”

“I already have mine.” James and Peter were snickering as they watched the exchange, and it was getting on Sirius’ nerves. Remus raised an eyebrow at his last comment. Sirius answered with an annoyed scowl. “I’ve already packed all my things. This isn’t mine.”

Remus sighed, opened the book’s front cover, and pointed at the corner. The name Sirius Black was clearly printed there. Sirius stared at it for a few moments before looking at his trunk. He looked back to Remus with a mildly panicked expression. “Come on, Moony, can’t you keep that one? It’s not like it matters; we have the same books.”

He knew Remus had seen him close the trunk, and he could see the other boy debating on whether or not it was really worth it to try and dig his book out. However, before he could decide, James decided to take action. “Come on, Padfoot, what’s the problem?” He reached over to undo the locks on the trunk. “Just give him his book so we can go down to the feast!”

Sirius and Remus simultaneously cried out in horror as James opened the trunk, causing the crammed contents to explode all over the room. James fell to the floor, surprised. Peter, who had just succeeded in freeing himself from his pile of clothes, now found himself covered in Sirius’. Sirius and Remus had avoided the worst of it by quickly moving towards the door when they had seen what James was about to do, but a few shirts had managed to land at their feet.

There was a moment of shocked silence as the boys took in  the scene of devastation. Even if the room had been a mess before, that was nothing compared to how it looked now. Sirius stared at his displaced belongings and let out a defeated sigh. It was like the universe was trying to let him know that his summer was going to be awful.

There was no need to warn him. Summer meant going home, which led to arguments. He had dreaded seeing his family so much throughout the year that he’d actually stayed at Hogwarts over the Christmas holiday. When James had found out, he had insisted on remaining as well. However, Remus has wisely stopped him after seeing McGonagall’s face when Sirius had signed the list of students staying behind. “She’ll have a heart attack if we all stay, or even if it’s just you and Sirius.  _ Especially  _ if it’s just you and Sirius.”

So his three friends had left him, albeit reluctantly. Sirius was grateful that throughout the whole ordeal, none of them pressed him to talk about his family. They already knew the basic details: His whole family had been in Slytherin before him and was very keen to maintain their pureblood status. Sirius had made it clear that he didn’t exactly agree with his family’s values. He never said anything else about it, so the other boys decided not to ask. They figured if he wanted to talk about it, he would.

Remus, however, seemed to notice that the whole predicament was bothering Sirius, especially when it came to Regulus. When the youngest Black had arrived at Hogwarts, he had attracted the full interest of all the boys. James wanted to mess with him, but Sirius had constantly stopped him from doing so. Eventually, the excitement of seeing Regulus worn off and he was mostly ignored. The only person who seemed to even look at him was Sirius, and by extension, Remus. As the responsible one of the group, he figured it was his job to keep an eye on his friends to make sure they didn’t cause too much trouble. When he observed Sirius, he always noticed how the other boy would try to make eye contact with his younger brother when they passed each other in the corridor, or how he would check to see whom he was sitting with at the Slytherin table during meals. Remus had seen the furious glare Regulus had been directing towards Sirius when his brother had talked to McGonagall. There was obviously some sort of a disagreement between the two, and Remus was curious as to what it was.

He watched as Sirius began to dejectedly pick up his clothes. James was laughing loudly as he pulled Peter out from where he’d been buried, completely ignorant to his best friend’s behavior. How Sirius’ problems had escaped Potter’s notice for so long was a mystery to him. Quickly glancing as Sirius, Remus decided it was time for someone to figure out what was wrong. “Oi, Prongs, why don’t you and Wormtail go on down to the feast? We’ll handle this mess.”

James shrugged and headed out of the room, bumping into Sirius playfully as he left. Peter followed, leaving the other two boys in silence. As they picked up the clothes, Remus spoke. “So, what’s wrong?”

Sirius kept his back turned towards Remus so he couldn’t see his face. “Nothing.”

Remus snorted and tossed a few shirts back into the trunk. “Look, I didn’t say anything at Christmas because I thought you would tell us on your own eventually. We’re your friends, Sirius. We want to help!”

Sirius let out a frustrated growl and threw something at Remus’ face. Remus yelped in surprise and jumped back, somehow managing to catch the object. Once it was in his hands, he realized that it was his book, the one that had led to this whole mess in the first place. He looked up, confused, to see that Sirius was already heading for the door. Sirius turned back to glare at him before exiting, leaving Remus to stand alone, clutching the book to his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that I hadn't published anything on this account. Well, now I have. Another thing to check off of my to-do list.


	2. Chapter 2

Sirius couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had known that he couldn’t run forever, but it hadn’t hurt to try. Now he felt like he was backed into a corner. It was a completely foreign concept to him. He was Sirius Black, the rule breaker, the boy with no boundaries. He wasn’t supposed to feel like he’d locked himself in a cage and thrown away the key.

A cry of alarm shook him from his wallowing and brought him back to the present. He turned to see what the problem was only to have three chocolate frogs land on his face. He pried them off without a word and handed them back to Peter, who had turned an alarming shade of red while stammering out an apology. Sirius stared at the smaller boy in surprise. Usually he would just laugh along with James, his uncontrollable snorting diffusing any tension that a prank had caused. This subdued behavior may have been the norm around teachers or other students, but within their small group it was definitely odd.

James seemed as oblivious as always, deciding the whole thing had been comedy gold and releasing the remainder of the frogs into the car. His laughter bled over to Peter, who returned to his usual self and began throwing some of the escaping frogs at James. Sirius tried to join in the fun, but his half-hearted attempts at laughter died as quickly as they began. It wasn't worth it; the others weren't paying attention to him anyway. He leaned back in his seat and began to brood once more.

He was aware of a concerned gaze in his direction, but he pointedly ignored it. Remus hadn't outright pushed for him to talk again since he had stormed out of the room, but it was obvious that he was worried. It was beginning to grate on his nerves. He couldn't see why his problems mattered so much all of a sudden. It wasn't like this was anything new. He has always had some sort of low level stress when it came to his family, but usually his friends could help him forget about it by no bringing it up. All this extra attention was only making him feel worse. He would never admit it to Moony, but it might have had to do with the fact that he knew that once he returned home, he wouldn't receive this kind of support or concern. He would have to face his family alone.

The bright, sunny day and the cheerful atmosphere throughout the train mocked his misery as they journeyed all too quickly towards London. Sirius tried to keep up with the conversation going on around him, but his responses and fake laughter showed up less frequently as time went on. Eventually even James seemed to realize something was wrong, and a gloomy cloud settled over the car as the boys lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. They remained like this for the remainder of the journey, unsure of what to do to remove the tension.

The movement outside of the car increased significantly, signalling their return to London. Slamming doors, shouting friends, and screeching owls soon followed as the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop at the platform all too quickly. He had nowhere to hide this time.

Sighing deeply, he stood up and stretched out his lanky limbs, mentally preparing himself for what lay ahead. James punched his shoulder and held him back as the others left to find their trunks. Sirius caught a look between all three of his friends as they separated and held back an annoyed groan. Of course Remus had told them about it. He and Wormtail were probably going off to plan some sort of therapy session for him that involved unicorns and rainbows while James stayed with him to give a rousing speech about the merits of friends working together to solve their problems. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

He waited impatiently for James to start speaking. He knew he wasn't the only impatient one; Regulus would be angry if he was running late. That particular virtue must have wanted to avoid the "Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" just as much as Sirius did. However, as much as he didn't want to go back, he wanted to get the fighting over with as soon as possible. That would happen as soon as James decided to stop standing there awkwardly and actually say  _ something _ -

Wait. Prongs was at a loss for words? This had to be a first. That thought was almost enough to make Sirius crack a smile, but his overwhelming bad mood quashed any traces of good humor. The only thing left to fill the void was his annoyance, binding with the heavy feeling of awkwardness and making it more pronounced. The two boys faced each other as other students loudly made their way through the train and around the platform, calling for their friends and exchanging their farewells, oblivious to the drama of a small group of boys and content with their own problems and triumphs.

Nothing was happening. James looked like he might explode from the effort he was putting into his thoughts. No matter what was going to be said, unless Prongs was either bleeding or on fire, Sirius did not have the time to listen to it. Not today. He huffed in frustration and turned to leave when James seemed to finally find his voice.

“My door is always open, you know.”

“What?”

James fixed his serious gaze on him and continued. “It’s like I told you our first year. If you have any problems at home, you come straight to my place. My parents don’t care, and I don’t either. Remember that, all right?”

Sirius was finally left alone after receiving a concerned punch on his shoulder. Instead of the peaceful break he had been expecting, it made him feel worse. Even if his friends were there to help pick up the pieces after disaster struck, they wouldn’t be there to shield him from the initial blast. There was nothing that could truly save him from what he was about to face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sad that summer is over, but I'm pretty excited about my classes this semester. Hopefully things will work out better now that I've changed my major.


	3. Chapter 3

The silence throughout the house meshed seamlessly with the dark and dreary rooms to create the textbook definition of an ominous atmosphere. He really should have been used to this sort of welcome since it had greeted him every day of his life so far, but Sirius couldn't help but feel anxious at how tense everything was since he knew it was directed at him. Even Regulus had not attempted to start up any sort of conversation with him since they had met up on the platform, only acknowledging him enough to nod when they had made eye contact through the crowd of students. He had then proceeded to run quickly to his own room as soon as the door had squeaked shut behind them, leaving Sirius alone to face the silent wrath of the house.

He debated creeping around the darkened hallways as quietly as possible to avoid detection before abandoning the idea and stomping loudly to his own bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him. If a confrontation was inevitable, it wouldn't help to prolong it any further. And it was inevitable. The small seed of annoyance that he had planted as a child had sprouted into an ugly combination of seething rage and thinly veiled contempt with each breath he took under the roof of Grimmauld Place. He had not only passed the point of no return but also demolished it as he rushed by. He could do nothing to improve the situation, but he could enjoy doing everything to make it worse.

And he had made it worse, he realized belatedly with a wince, by entering so loudly. Now his mother knew exactly where he was and could bide her time, enjoying the fraying of his nerves as he wandered around the house, hoping that the dreaded confrontation wouldn't be initiated around every corner. She would hold herself in the aloof and proper way that she always did and wait for her rebellious child to cross paths with her. Then she would strike with all the confidence of a woman who got her way through any means necessary. He would be dealt with accordingly for his transgressions, and all would go back to the usual tense and gloomy atmosphere that plagued their home.

This was usually enough to keep him subdued for the time he had to deal with his family. It mostly kept them off of his back besides the occasional snide remark sent his way. He would suffer through the holiday and maybe cause a bit of trouble near the end of summer when he knew he could get away for several months soon after. It wasn’t a perfect solution for either party, but it was successful in keeping up the charade of a proud, confident pureblood family with no internal problems. This time, however, things would be different.

Sirius was sick of being forced into submission every time he set foot in a place that felt as much like a home to him as it did a prison. He was tired of the gnawing feelings of fear, stress, and anxiety that plagued him whenever it was time to return to the clutches of his family once more. It was time to stop this game of cat and mouse once and for all, for better or for worse.

It was with that confidence that Sirius left his room and headed down the stairs to search the most likely places for the annual “family meeting” to take place. It had to be somewhere that was ominous (which could be anywhere, really), represented the traditions and might of the house of Black (that narrowed it down by about three rooms), and where his mother could demonstrate that she held all the power in the situation and Sirius was inferior. Even with these three stipulations, it still left a lot of options throughout the house. But Sirius knew his mother. While she had many places to choose from, she still favored a select few.

When he found her, he knew a battle of wills would ensue. His own stubbornness was a trait that he begrudgingly attributed to his mother, and it would only add fuel to her fury. Even with this knowledge, he couldn’t bring himself to care. It was time to fight for himself.

It was time to be free.


	4. Chapter 4

Euphemia Potter had always put faith in her instincts. They had seen her through many situations throughout her life and they hadn’t failed her yet. When her husband scoffed at the notion of putting stock in such small things, she only had to glance knowingly at the most recent letter sent to them from the exasperated Professor McGonagall to silence his doubts. Her son was a good boy and she loved him very dearly, but she would not have been able to keep up with all of his antics had it not been for her keen instincts and the realization that the house seemed just a  _ little _ too quiet. James Potter was a force to be reckoned with, but he had to get passed his mother’s intuition in order to fully get away with anything he did.

It was because of this intuition that she found herself seated on the couch in their family room long after Fleamont and James had left her with yawned farewells as they headed to bed for the night. Despite the lateness of the hour, she didn’t feel the need for sleep. Instead, she was surprisingly awake and alert. It wasn’t unusual for her to stay up later than the other members of her family. She usually took a few silent hours to herself to get through a few chapters of a novel or spent some time cleaning the places she couldn't usually get to with two rowdy men running around the house. It was her way of relaxing at the end of the day, and it was far from a strange occurrence.

However, she felt that tonight was different. There was no explanation for the feeling and no hints as to what it might mean, but she couldn't ignore it. It wasn't quite the same as when she knew that James was up to something, but it was somehow similar. She quickly dismissed the notion. It couldn't be James since he was sound asleep in his room. The thought had barely formed in her mind before years of experience had her quietly checking her son's room to make sure he was indeed still there and not causing mischief. She was relieved to see that he was in fact fast asleep in his bed, but it still left her wondering about the nature of her feelings. If it wasn't James, then what could possibly be making her feel like this?

With no answers, she was left to wait it out and see what came of the night. She tried reading the novel that James had gotten for her last Christmas. It did provide a welcome distraction once she became immersed in the plot, but every creak of the house or loud yap of a neighbor's dog had her glancing anxiously at the front door. Something was coming.

A sudden,  _ very _ loud sound nearly gave her a heart attack and made her jump a fairly impressive distance off of the couch. Once she managed to get her heart rate back within normal parameters, she took a moment to identify the noise. It had almost sounded like something had been shrieking in her front yard. What on Earth could that have been?

She started to get up to investigate, hesitating for a brief moment to wonder if she should wake her husband. She quickly discarded the idea and confidently strode towards the door. If the noise hadn't managed to wake him, then her own efforts would most likely take too long and give whatever had caused the sound a chance to get away. She knew that she would have to do this on her own, and she was ready to face whatever lurked in the night.

With her wand in an easily accessible place just in case anything happened, she threw open the door. What she saw startled her and left her slightly dumbfounded. Of all the things she had expected to find, she had not imagined seeing Sirius Black.

The boy was the spitting image of despair. The warm glow that flowed from the inside of the house onto the front stoop barely seemed to touch him, only reaching far enough to graze his shoes and gently brush away a few of the shadows on his face. The void of night and shadows clung to him like a cloak, almost as if it was warding off any attempts of light or happiness from ever reaching him. His whole bearing, which was that of his usual detached politeness that he fell into so easily when James wasn't around, was obviously held together by his sheer force of will. He looked like he would crumble to pieces at any moment right before her eyes.

She stared with her mouth slightly agape, unsure of what to do. He stared back, equally hesitant and anxious. After a few moments of unmoving silence, Sirius tilted his head slightly and grinned. "Hey, Mrs. Potter."

That grin that she had seen so many times before was an empty imitation that could hardly hold itself together long enough to be believable. It broke her heart to see him pretending to be fine when it was very clear that nothing was okay. The pain doubled when the small change in angle removed the shadows from his face almost completely, revealing the nasty bruise that had formed under his left eye.

The charade, as pitiful as it had been, had gone on long enough. She moved in quickly before he could protest, throwing her arms around the miserable and hurting boy that she considered to be her second son. She felt him stiffen in surprise under her sudden embrace. However, it didn't take long for him to relax. His head fell on her shoulder, and she gently carded her hand through his hair. She shushed him gently as he began to cry. "Don't worry, dear," she whispered, feeling his body tremor with his sobs. "You're home."

She waited for him to calm down a bit before leading him inside, waving her wand distractedly behind her to retrieve the trunk that had been behind him. She had questions, but they could wait. Right now, tea needed to be made, beds needed to be made up, and sleep was to be had. For now, she knew that Sirius Black just needed to realize that he was free.


End file.
